Monday, 23 May 2016

The Grand Priory of the Kingdom of Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg held splendid events in the city of Numur, capital of the Province of Wallonia last weekend. This post will concentrate on the Mass celebrated in St Aubain's Cathedral and focuses in particular on those who travelled from the Grand Priory of Great Britain to join in the festivities. Further posts to follow.

The postulants arriving.

Members of the Grand Magistry and Heads of Jurisdictions.

Mass was celebrated by Archpriest of the Cathedral, Canon Jean-Marie Huet.

Grand Masters past and present.

H.E. Cev. Matthew Jackson, Grand Secretary, reads the Epistle.

Chaplain to the Order, Don Cyrille Bachelfort, proclaims the Gospel and preaches.

The Investiture is announced.

Blessing the Insignia for the new members.

The Grand Master welcomes Abbé Serge de Cauwer as a new Chaplain.

Insignia granting can be a delicate business.

The spendid cathederal of St Aubain.

Interestingly, in 1908 it was a Belgian architect,

Charles Ménart,

who used the cathedral as his inspiration for St Aloysius Church, in Glasgow

(which has a fine depiction of St Lazarus in its mortuary chapel).

The music for the Mass was sung by Les Petite Chanteurs de Belgique.

Ite! Missa est.

Some of the members of the Order pose for a group photograph on the Cathedral steps after Mass.

The Mass setting was composed by this young man,

Mario Macedo from Brazil,

Missa Sancti Lazari.

A wonderful setting based on plainchant

but with added harmonies and embellishments.

The (surely exhausted) singers.

With thanks to François de Ribaucourt for kind permission to use his photographs.